Automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) are increasingly common due to concerted campaigns to equip locations with large numbers of people, such as airports, schools, churches, office building, and/or other gathering locations. In addition, trained first responders are often equipped with AED kits. It is asserted that treatment with an AED significantly increases a patient's chances of survival in the event of cardiac arrhythmia.
According to the Federal Food and Drug Administration, an AED typically comprises adhesive electrode pads for connection with a patient, a microprocessor for collecting and analyzing the rhythms associated with a patient's heart, and a source of voltage operable to deliver a shock through the electrodes in an attempt to correct an arrhythmia. Some AED kits are more properly called semi-automatic, as they require users to press a button or other actuator in response to instructions by the AED itself.
In most cases, an AED includes basic instructions for use in the event a first aid provider is unfamiliar with the equipment. Such instructions may include pictures or text indicating proper attachment of the electrodes and/or operation of the electronics in the kit. Some AEDs, once activated, operate independently by delivering any appropriate shock without further action by the user.
Those patient conditions treated with external defibrillation are often better treated with a combination of defibrillation and drug administration. For instance, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocol promulgated in the United States by the American Heart Association (AHA) provides a treatment protocol for cardiac conditions. The ACLS protocol may include external defibrillation, administration of drugs, and/or insertion of airway devices.
ACLS protocol may include delivery of any drug or medication, including, but not limited to, calcium, atropine, adenosine, amiodanone, epinephrine, bicarb, versed, and/or lidocaine. Delivery of drugs during the course of ACLS protocol may include repeated injections and/or installing a IV connection.